AIDS United Response to Appointment of New PACHA Members

AIDS United Response to Appointment of New PACHA Members

The following is a statement from AIDS United on the appointment of nine new members to the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA):

Washington, DC – “The announcement today from Adm. Brett P. Giroir, M.D., HHS assistant secretary for health, of the nine additional appointments to the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) is further indication that the administration is moving on its commitment to its Ending the Epidemic Plan. Having an active body is a welcome change, as the council has laid vacant and inactive for more than a year. We thank those who have agreed to serve and look forward to working closely with the new PACHA members and co-chairs to advocate for policies that we view as essential to the overarching goal of ending HIV, many that this administration still seems reluctant to support or change.

That being said, there are an additional 14 spots still available before the Council reaches its full membership of 25 authorized in its charter. It is our understanding that there will be additional members added in the near future. We hope that these additions will reflect meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and reflect a broader and more diverse representation of the epidemic itself, including, gay and bisexual men of color, transgender women, women of color, and people with lived experience using drugs. PACHA should be a model for all policy and planning bodies addressing HIV, especially given its important leadership role in implementation of the administration’s Ending the Epidemic Plan.

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About AIDS United: AIDS United’s mission is to end the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. through strategic grant-making, capacity building, and policy. AIDS United works to ensure access to life-saving HIV/AIDS care and prevention services and to advance sound HIV/AIDS-related policy for U.S. populations and communities most impacted by the epidemic. To date, our strategic grant-making initiatives have directly funded more than $104 million to local communities and have leveraged more than $117 million in additional investments for programs that include, but are not limited to HIV prevention, access to care, capacity building, harm reduction and advocacy. www.aidsunited.org